Director of Construction - Data Center at Lambda

San Francisco, California, United States

Lambda Logo
$253,000 – $422,000Compensation
Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
Data Centers, AI Infrastructure, ConstructionIndustries

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Civil, Structural, or Architectural Engineering (or related)
  • 15+ years of construction leadership, including hyperscale data centers or other mission-critical facilities, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role
  • Deep understanding of constructability elements of CSA and MEP systems, high-density compute environments, and large-scale commissioning
  • General contractor and vendor management experience (RFPs, bidding, change orders, QA/QC, RFIs, submittals)
  • Proven track record delivering $100M+ construction projects with full budget accountability
  • Strong financial acumen and contract negotiation skills, with demonstrated ability to deliver projects on budget
  • Experience building and scaling high-performing teams; demonstrated success in talent attraction, development, and retention
  • Nice to Have
  • Proficient in enterprise construction tools (Procore, MS Project, Primavera, Bluebeam)
  • Familiarity with sustainable building practices and green certifications (LEED, ISO, etc.)
  • Professional certifications such as PE, PMP, CCM, or OSHA 30
  • Deep knowledge of construction codes, regulations, and permitting processes
  • Demonstrated ability to attract, develop, and scale high-performing teams
  • Strong cross-functional MEP system knowledge

Responsibilities

  • Lead all phases of data center construction: site prep, utilities, core/shell, CSA/MEP systems, commissioning, substantial completion, deferred commissioning, and warranty resolution
  • Build and manage relationships with general contractors, EPCs, and subcontractors; oversee bids, contracts, and change orders, ensuring accountability
  • Partner with design engineering, operations, real estate, and supply chain to align builds with Lambda’s capacity roadmap
  • Coordinate with capacity, construction contractors, equipment suppliers and internal financing/accounting teams to ensure efficient use of capital in line with reported projections
  • Establish scalable standards for cost, schedule, safety, and quality across multiple programs
  • Report progress, risks, and financials directly to executive leadership
  • Push innovation in delivery models (modular builds, prefabrication, liquid cooling) to accelerate timelines and boost resiliency
  • Guide teams through troubleshooting and root-cause analysis during commissioning

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Data Center ConstructionSite DevelopmentMEP SystemsCommissioningVendor ManagementContract NegotiationBudget ManagementConstruction SchedulingSafety StandardsQuality ControlModular ConstructionPrefabricationLiquid CoolingRoot Cause AnalysisEPC Management

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary range for the Director of Construction role?

The salary range is $253K - $422K.

Is this position remote or hybrid?

The position is hybrid.

What are the key qualifications and experience required for this role?

Candidates need a Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Civil, Structural, or Architectural Engineering (or related), 15+ years of construction leadership including hyperscale data centers, deep understanding of CSA and MEP systems, general contractor management experience, proven track record with $100M+ projects, strong financial acumen, and experience building high-performing teams.

What does the company culture or team environment look like at Lambda?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What makes a strong candidate stand out for this Director of Construction position?

A strong candidate has 15+ years of construction leadership in hyperscale data centers, experience delivering $100M+ projects on budget, expertise in CSA/MEP systems and commissioning, proven vendor management, financial acumen, and success in building high-performing teams; nice-to-haves include proficiency in tools like Procore and Primavera, sustainable practices, and certifications like PE or PMP.

Lambda

Cloud-based GPU services for AI training

About Lambda

Lambda Labs provides cloud-based services for artificial intelligence (AI) training and inference, focusing on large language models and generative AI. Their main product, the AI Developer Cloud, utilizes NVIDIA's GH200 Grace Hopper™ Superchip to deliver efficient and cost-effective GPU resources. Customers can access on-demand and reserved cloud GPUs, which are essential for processing large datasets quickly, with pricing starting at $1.99 per hour for NVIDIA H100 instances. Lambda Labs serves AI developers and companies needing extensive GPU deployments, offering competitive pricing and infrastructure ownership options through their Lambda Echelon service. Additionally, they provide Lambda Stack, a software solution that simplifies the installation and management of AI-related tools for over 50,000 machine learning teams. The goal of Lambda Labs is to support AI development by providing accessible and efficient cloud GPU services.

San Jose, CaliforniaHeadquarters
2012Year Founded
$372.6MTotal Funding
DEBTCompany Stage
AI & Machine LearningIndustries
201-500Employees

Risks

Nebius' holistic cloud platform challenges Lambda's market share in AI infrastructure.
AWS's 896-core instance may draw customers seeking high-performance cloud solutions.
Existential crisis in Hermes 3 model raises concerns about Lambda's AI model reliability.

Differentiation

Lambda offers cost-effective Inference API for AI model deployment without infrastructure maintenance.
Nvidia HGX H100 and Quantum-2 InfiniBand Clusters enhance Lambda's AI model training capabilities.
Lambda's Hermes 3 collaboration showcases advanced AI model development expertise.

Upsides

Inference API launch attracts enterprises seeking low-cost AI deployment solutions.
Nvidia HGX H100 clusters provide competitive edge in high-performance AI computing.
Strong AI cloud service growth indicates rising demand for Lambda's GPU offerings.

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